The second victim of the deadly mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school on Wednesday has been identified as Harper Moyski, age 10.
“We are devastated to share that our beloved daughter, Harper Moyski, was tragically killed in the recent school shooting,” parents Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin said in a statement to media outlets. “Harper was a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her.”
“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,” the statement adds. “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.”
Earlier today, Fletcher Merkel, 8, was named as the other victim in the shooting, which also wounded 18 people, mostly children.
“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son Fletcher away from us,” his father, Jessie, said at a press conference on Thursday. “Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.”
The shooting, which took place early Wednesday morning at a church next to Annunciation Catholic School, also injured 18 people, mostly children.
Sophia Forchas, 12, was among the injured.
She was later taken to a hospital where her mother was working as a nurse the day of the shooting.
“Sophia was shot during the attack and is currently in critical condition in the ICU,” according to a GoFundMe page co-organized by her father. “She has already undergone emergency surgery, and her medical team is doing everything they can to stabilize her. Her road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly difficult — but she is strong, and she is not alone.”
During the incident, in which students and local parishioners were gathered for the first Mass of the school year, the shooter, Robin Westman, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities are still working to determine potential motives for the violence.
Westman committed an “act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X on Thursday.
The official said Westman made “anti-Catholic, anti-religious” references in a manifesto and on weapons in her possession, expressed hatred towards Jewish people, and made calls for violence against President Trump.
In a series of jumbled personal writings posted online reviewed by CNN, Westman appeared to discount any central cause for the shooting and spoke of an obsession with past mass shooters.
“This is not a church or religion attack, that is not the message,” the shooter wrote. “The message is there is no message.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
